Meet the Trainers
and their fantastic canines!
Sarah Leander
Owner/Trainer
Sarah is a graduate of Mary Institute and Country Day School (Class of 2011) and a graduate of DePauw University (Class of 2015). She’s always had a love for animals, which motivated her to pursue as many internships involving animals as possible, which gave her a wide experience with both domestic and exotic animals. Those internships include working with the Humane Society of Missouri, the Zoo of Acadiana (now called Zooisiana) in Broussard, Louisiana, and the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, MO.
After achieving her Bachelor’s in English Writing, she was faced with the common question “What next?” At first, she accepted a job at a local kennel and worked as part of the yard staff--providing care for the dogs and monitoring fair play--as well as a travelling pet sitter. At the encouragement of her family and co-workers, she decided to go back to school and pursue the one thing that she’s always had an interest in: animals. Specifically, dogs.
In January of 2016, Sarah attended the Tom Rose School under the instruction of some of the nation’s top instructors: Dave van Garderen, Jacob Plascencia, and Jeremy Ciepluch. There, she learned the art of dog training from basic pet obedience, to more advanced things like sport and competition obedience such as AKC, IGP (formerly known as Schutzhund and IPO), scent detection, and tracking. But her learning doesn’t stop there. Sarah continues to expand her training education when she can by attending training seminars, and keeping up with the latest techniques and methods.
In 2017, Sarah accepted a training position at a local kennel. While she was there, she realized that the sterile, but also chaotic, environment of the kennel facility did not set dogs and owners for long-term success. Many issues that clients faced were tied to a home environment--something that the kennel environment could not replicate! So in 2021, Sarah took the leap and started her own training business, Fantastic Canines LLC.
While not training client dogs, Sarah actively competes with her own personal dogs. She has a black Labrador, Sirius who she competes with in AKC obedience. She also has a Dutch Shepherd, Remus, who trains for PSA (Protections Sports Association). When she’s not training her own dogs, Sarah is editing her children’s books that she wrote in college. She hopes to have them published one day.
Ted Cernich
Trainer
In July of 2015 Ted attended the Tom Rose School where he learned under the instruction of some of the nation’s top instructors: Dave van Garderen and Jacob Plascencia. There, he learned the art of dog training from basic pet obedience, to more advanced things like sport and competition obedience such as AKC, IGP (formerly known as Schutzhund and IPO), scent detection, and tracking. He also met Sarah when she attended the school the following January of 2016!
In April of 2016, Ted accepted a Head Trainer position at a local kennel, and was reunited with Sarah in 2017 when she also accepted a training position. There, he trained hundreds of dogs of different breeds and different temperaments. While working for the kennel, Ted also joined the training ranks of Got Your Six Support Dogs, where he took home and task-trained service dogs for veterans and first-responders with PTSD.
Despite being 6'2'', Ted is a soft and very patient trainer, bringing even the most shyest of dogs out of their shells. He loves bringing out the best of every dog, and making sure they reach their fullest potential. His favorite thing to do with dogs is scent-work.
Ted owns three dogs of his own: Fossa (a black and tan German shepherd), Katana (a sable German shepherd), and Sophie (a mix-breed). When Ted isn't training, he enjoys working out, keeping up with the Blues and Cardinals, and watching UFC fighting.
Meet some of their fantastic canines!
Sirius Black
CGC, CD
Sirius is a working American pointing black Laborador. Sirius' skills include: advanced obedience (on and off-leash), specific-odor detection, IGP tracking, and a multitude of tricks. He currently has his Canine Good Citizen title, as well as his AKC Novice Title. Sarah hopes to achieve his AKC Open obedience title (CDX).
Remus Lupin
PSA PDC
Remus is a working Dutch shepherd, and Sarah’s first dog that introduced her to the world of protection training. Sarah and Remus train with the Gateway Working Dog Association (GWDA) and train for PSA (Protection Sports Association). Currently, Remus has the entry certificate, the PDC, and is working towards his PSA 1 title.
Larka
Before her career as a dog trainer, Sarah happened to be perusing local rescues and came across a collie mix and was immediately drawn to her. She adopted Larka in October of 2015, and has been Sarah’s companion dog ever since. After much research, figured out that Larka was not a collie mix, but a Berger Blanc Suisse Shepherd! While Larka doesn’t have the flashy obedience that Sirius and Remus have, her sweet, loving, and patient personality and temperament make up for it.
Katana
Katana (or "Banana", as we call her here) is a working sable German shepherd. Katana is the second dog Ted took through the Tom Rose School. Her high-energy makes her a spaz (hence her nickname), and her eagerness to work aided Ted in his certification at school. Katana is a dog that can be reactive to both people and dogs, out of insecurity, and will defensively bark to alert and warn, but Ted's careful and constant management has kept her in line and on her best behavior.
Sophie (Rest In Peace, December 5th, 2021)
Sophie was the one who started it all for Ted. Adopted from the Humane Society in 2009, her acute nose and natural instincts to hunt piqued Ted's interest in dog behavior and led him to a career as a dog trainer. As a pet, Sophie enjoys taking naps throughout the day, barking at the mailwoman, FedEx, and Amazon drivers. But most of all, she loves being around Ted!
Sophie lived to a ripe old-age of 13 years.